Boyd County’s youth services center, The Drop, recently opened its new location. Funded by the Federal Transition Age Youth Launching Realized Dreams (TAYLRD) Grant, The Drop serves 14 to 25-year-olds who have, or are at risk for, behavioral health issues.
Madison Arrington is the TAYLRD Regional Coordinator for Pathways. She said TAYLRD services like those provided by The Drop work differently than a typical counseling center.
“Usually when people think about therapy, they think that they sit across the desk or they lay down on the couch and the therapist takes notes and things like that. The drop-in centers, we are non-traditional. So we connect with our users using engagement tools, such as video games, board games, field trips, groups,” said Arrington.
The Drop, located at Carter Avenue since its pilot launch in 2014, hosted the ribbon cutting for its Lansdowne Drive facility last month. Arrington said the new building, which is only a mile from Ashland Paul Blazer High School, is a step forward for the organization.
“Our old facility, it was still in decent shape, but the state recognized that we could probably benefit from a new location that’s closer to our outpatient office, and it’s closer to our schools. So, it just, us moving put us closer to where our people are and made us easier for them to access,” said Arrington.
All people aged 14 to 25 are welcome, and Arrington said clients do not need to be Pathways patients to utilize services at The Drop, which notably includes community involvement.
“Even though we have this cool center to hang out in, we do like to get our youth engaged in the community, so we take them places. Like, if we go shopping for the center, they go with us. We’ll take field trips sometimes, even if it’s just to the library to help them build social skills,” said Arrington.
Arrington said The Drop is always looking to build connections with community partners in the Boyd County area. Organizations interested in collaborating with The Drop, along with youths wanting to utilize TAYLRD services, can visit The Drop Facebook page.